Fire-ladder



K. C. FERRIS, DECD. GUARANTY TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK. EXECUTOR.

FIRE LADDER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27,1918.

1 ,359,680. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S nce/whom KCiZr/"z s K. C. FERRIS, DECD.

GUARANTY TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK, EXECUTOR.

FIRE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, I918.

Patentfi N QV. 23, 1920.

4 shins-sum 2.

K. C. FERRIS, DECD.

GUAHANTY TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK. EXECUTOR.

FIRE LADDER.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 27, 19H? Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lfcl' rris K. C. FERRIS, DECD.

GUARANTY TRUST COMPANY OF NEW YORK, sxzcuroa.

FIRE LADDER.

APPLICATlON FILED JULY 27, 1918. 1 ,359,680. Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

32 @1 m41fl 1 i 3/ v m m II/JIIII 5 29 Swan/wt UNITED stars PATENT orFIcE.

KATHARINE c. EEEnrs, or rayon, NORTH canorma; euananrr TRUST COMPANY on NEW roan, EXECUTOR. or sarn KATHARINE c. EEnnIs, DECEASED.

FIRE-LADDER.

Application filed July 27, 1918.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KATHARINE C. F Ennis, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tryon, in the county of Polk-and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Ladders. oi which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to fire-escape ladders and has for its general object the provision of a very simple and effective fireescape ladder so constructed that the ladder may he raised to any desired height by power operated. means, and further so con structed that brackets or supporting members maybe attached to the ladder as it is raised from which bracketsbridges may be disposed reaching to the windows of the burning building.

A further object is to provide improved means for supporting these brackets and locking the bridges thereto, and provide means whereby the series of ladders be initially supported while they are being raised into position.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated. in the accompanying drawings. wherein 2- V Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the manner in which may improved fire escape ladder is initially raised;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation oi one of the members for supporting the ladders while being raised;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the ladders raised;

Fig. 4; is a front elevation showing the ladders raisedwith the bridgesengaged with window ledges;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of two ladder sections shown in Fig. a, showing the manner in which these ladder sections are automatically engaged with each other;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of an implement whereby the ladders may be handled;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of the bridges;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of one of the bridges partly broken away;

Fig. 9 is a transverse section. of the bridge on the line 99 ofFig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of the ladder section and the bracket coacting Specification of Letters Patent. Patented N0 23, 192{} Serial No. 247,023.

therewith, the ring and socket being in section;

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the construction illustrated in Fig. 10 with the bracket removed;

Fig. 12 is a section on the line 12-l2 of Fig. 11; i

Fig. 13 is a front fragmentary elevation of two ladder sections showing a different manner of joining them;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 13, and Fig. 15 is a fragmentary face view of a ladder provided. with looking pins.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the ladders used comprise a series of sections 10, these sections diminishing in width from the base section to that section which forms the apex ofthe ladder. There are two series of these ladder sections,- one section designated A and the other B, and the end ladder sections or apex ladder sections 10' of the two series are provided with coacting hinged joints 11, connected byfia detachable pintle 12. The series of sections A. and B are intended tobe carried upon two motor driven trucks C and D.

Each 01'' these trucks is provided at its rear end with a transverse bolt 13 to which the first of the ladder sections are hingedly connected. T he ladder sections may be hingedly or 'slidingly connected to each other but in any case the sections are supported in superposed position upon the truck and may project out slightly beyond the truck so that when two trucks C and D are backed up adjacent to each other, the ladder sections 10, that is thetopinost ladder sections,may be connected by means. of the hinged joint 11 and the pintles'lQ. When this has been accomplished the trucks C and D move away from each other drawing out the ladder sections to a sufiicient degree and then the trucks are backed toward each so that the ladder sections will be moved upward at their connected ends. WVhen they have been raised a certain distance they are supported by means of the detachable sup port E. The adjacent ladder sections in this position, as shown in Fig. 1, are vsupported by means of the supports F.

Each of these supporter, as shown in Fig. 2, includes the laterally disposed standards 14, a transverse roller 15 supported on the standards, vertical rollers 16, and: stops 17.-

Where the upper ladder sections l0 are connected to each other and supported upon the support E the trucks are pulled away from each other so that the ladders will successively be drawn from the trucks, the ladder sections being supported in the position. shown in Fig. 1. When suilicient ladder sec tions ha v e been withdrawn from the truck and expanded, the trucks are then backed toward each other, raising the ladder sections until the trucks arrive in the position shown in Fig. 3, when the trucks connected by means oi a chain 18 or other suitable device so that they cannot spread apart. The'ladder sections th extend up Ward in convergent relation and thusthe ladder sections are given a relatively base. The lower ladder sections are, oi course, or" suilicicnt width to provide asuit ably wide base for the wide structure.

Each section of the ladder is provided on each rail 19 with a series eyes 20 ano ries of sockets 21 and there is pro: plurality of brackets 22, preferably in the lower end. of one lop; ot' each braci t ing adapted to be disposed he correspr ing socket 2i, while the upper leg: oi? the bracket has a hooked. end adapted to be lnserted in the correspoi'idlng eye 20. The

outer end of the bracket has an upwardly extending lug 2-1:.

These brackets may be readily i i in their corresponding sockets and eyes so that the entire extent oi the ladder 1 1a by provided with the brackets. or only a por tion of the ladder may be provided with these brackets. These bracke's at to support a plurality of hi: extend from the brackets to th the building. Each of these brid vided witha hand rail 26 hii'ig 'ed tr tom of the bridge and these raili held in a vertical position by'means cit bolt-z 27 each passing through a socket on the railing and a socket 29 on the body oi the bridge. The bolt and socket are prei' rably square, as thereby the railing will be hefii more rigidly in position. Preferably the bridge will be covered with asbestos as will the railin .7

In order that the bridge may be readily manipulated so that two'men may jeadily handle the bridge and shift it across the can between a bracket and the window to w rich the bridge is to connect, I provide the inner end of the bridge .with two sockets 30 and provide two handling irons '31 adapted to be inserted in these sockets. Thus the bracket forms a fulcrum and the handling; irons permit the bridge to be rested onthis fulcrum and raised, lowered or shifted. into any'desired position. For the purpose'of holding the bridge from any accidental disengagement from the brackets. I provide on the bridge a plurality of staples. or. eyes. 32

l'illli. 111011 IWO Oll the brackets.

bridge to be extended to windows which are not directly opposite the brackets but in an oblique relation thereto. In Fig. 4:, I illustrate the bridges as being extended. from the ladder to the corresponding windows.

InFigs. 3, 4. and 5 I have illustrated the ladder sections as having sliding engagement with each other, after the manner oi the extension ladders in ordinary use, and each ladder section asbeinggprovided with. a hook of ordinary construction. whi b. as the ladder section is raised, engages with the rungs of the next ladder section as to automatically hold ladder .c one raised relative to each other. These hoo as before stated. are oi an ordina the J7 {U1 .1 and may be swung out of the way to alloi'v the ladder sections to collapse with relation to each other. 7 1

In Figs. 13 and i l, Ishow ler whet in the sections are hinged to each oti er as at 35 and. in order to hold these la dder sections alined relation. the ladder sections are provided with periioratod lugs 36 through which. bolts 37 sis the truc s recede im each other and draw out the'ladders each side of the ladder, thrust the rods or bolts 37 through the eyes or lugs 36. The ladders may be readily handled by means of poles 38 having crctches 39 at their upper ends. This crotch is placed under the sides of the ladaway fromeach other and then the next ladder section is connected to the first named ladder section by the pins 40, and so on until all of the ladder sections have been drawn out of the trucks. i

. In the general operation of this ladder construction there will be two motor trucks used for the ladders. Another motor truck will be used for, carrying the bridges, bracl'rets and iron rods. Qne man places the brackets in position and two men carry the bridges up the ladder and apply them over f he firemen are W l trained, the ladders can be raised or lowered in a very short time and it is obvious that the ladders may be forced to a great height and will have a perfectly firm base or loundation. A director should stand in full view of the two drivers of the trucks and signal when the trucks are to go forward, stop when the rods or bolts 37 are being put in place, and when to back toward each other to raise the ladders.

It will be seen that this ladder, while easily handled and readily raised to any desired height, is particularly safe for the removal of women and children and that once the ladder is in position, access may be had to any part or the building by placing the bridges to adjacent windows. The ladder, as a whole, may be'shilted by shifting the trucks. Thus it is a relatively easy matter to remove the ladders in case there is danger of the ladders burning, without the necessity of lowering the ladders. While I have illustrated a particular form of my invention, it will be obvious that many details may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention and that the construction may be varied in many ways.

it will be understood that, as before stated, either sliding ladders or hinged ladder sections may be used. The sliding ladders may be of any suitable construction, but if the ladder sections slide upon each other the fronts of the ladders are left clear for the rings, pockets and hooks to receive the brackets. Sliding ladders have every advantage over folding ladders except that the number of sections is necessarily limited by the fact that one section is slightly smaller than the section next below.

To get either kind of ladder back into the truck, it is necessary that the sections should be held straight and on a level with the truck with low supports and that the sections should be firmly supported where the two ladders meet. Rods thrust through the rings as illustrated in Fig. lt are a means for securing stillness at the joint for hinged or pivoted ladder sections.

l-laving described my invention, what I claim is 1. A fire ladder structure including two series of ladders, motor trucks supporting the two series of ladders, the topmost ladder of both series being provided with means whereby the two series of ladders may be hingedly connected to thereby permit the ladders to be withdrawn from the trucks by movement of the trucks away from each other and raised by elevating the joined ends of the two series and shifting the trucks toward each other.

2. A fire-escape ladder comprising two series of connected ladder sections, means for shifting the two series of ladder sections into an upwardly convergent relation, sockets mounted upon the rails of the ladder sections, brackets detachably mounted in the sockets, bridges adapted to rest upon said brackets, and means for detachably connecting the bridges to the brackets.

53. A fire-escape structure of the character described including two motor trucks, a series of ladder sections in each truck operatively connected to each other, the topmost ladder sections being provided with hinged joints whereby they may be detachably hinged to each other, and means for supporting the joined ends 01": the ladder sections in convergent relation at a relatively slight angle, the ladder sections being raised by backing the trucks toward each other.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

KATHARINE O. FERRIS.

Witnesses EMMA M. CHENY, J ULIA ABRAMs. 

